The PATRIOT Parks Act authorizes the National Park Service to charge international visitors an additional surcharge on top of standard entrance fees when visiting America's national parks. International visitors are defined as foreign tourists admitted to the United States on temporary visitor visas. Park superintendents would set surcharge amounts for their individual parks, with the goal of maximizing revenue while maintaining visitation levels. All revenue collected from entrance fee surcharges stays with the specific park where it was collected and must be used for maintenance, visitor services, and staffing. Additionally, the bill requires a surcharge on National Parks passes sold to international visitors, with those proceeds going to the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund for broader park maintenance needs. The legislation gives the Interior Department flexibility to suspend, modify, or adjust surcharges as needed, and allows third-party travel vendors to help collect the fees.
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